


Sunshine

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, grumpy!dan, sunshine!phil, when will i. ever post angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 09:57:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12679536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a grumpy!dan and sunshine!phil fic in which dan totally doesn’t have a crush on phil. not at all





	Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> everything is rachel's fault good by e

Dan couldn’t stand his co worker. He was too cheerful for having to get up at 5AM every weekday. His co worker, Phil, always made sure to greet everyone at work with a huge smile and a sunny aura to him. What was even more annoying was that he always specifically went out of his way to greet Dan. Dan would rather not deal with such a bright smile so early along with an onslaught of questions.

“How was your breakfast? Did you remember to eat this time?”

“Did you say hi to your kitten for me?”

“Have you tried the new restaurant downtown? We could go together sometime.”

Dan merely grumbled back answers, storming over to his cubicle (Yes, he worked an office job at the ripe age of 26. He hated his life).

Phil never gave up, though, always smiling and talking animatedly about his morning. Sometimes, he even brought Dan a baked good. He always gave Dan a (definitely not cute) little wave before practically skipping off to his own cubicle. Dan would mumble something incoherent, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as the sunshine left his presence.

Dan thought he was annoying. Louise concluded that Dan had a crush on Phil.

“I do not have a ‘crush’” Dan emphasized, “on Phil.”

The two were sitting at lunch, Louise having told Dan her revelation after watching the two interact that morning.

Louise smirked. “You can’t go a single lunch break without talking about him. Even if you’re complaining the entire time about how his smile is ‘too bright’ or how his eyes have ‘too many colors’.” She looked down at the cupcake Dan was unwrapping. “And who did you get that cupcake from?”

Dan frowned at the cupcake. It was his favorite type, chocolate, with a ridiculous amount of pink icing on it. Phil had given it to him that morning, rambling on about something involving a new cupcake shop. Dan wasn’t paying much attention to what Phil was saying, too distracted by the cupcake itself.

Dan muttered a soft “fuck you” at Louise, taking another bite of the cupcake. The icing was sure to give him diabetes.

Louise rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment. They were gossiping about their boss when Phil approached the table.

“Mind if I join you guys?” He looked at Dan, asking him for permission. He knew Louise wouldn’t mind.

Dan sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled. Phil’s face lit up and Dan ignored the butterflies that fluttered happily in his tummy. He sat close to Dan, much to Louise’s amusement.

“You’re eating the cupcake I gave you?” Phil asked, shocked.

Dan shrugged. “I always eat the food you give me at lunch.” He didn’t notice the way Phil’s cheeks turned a pleasant pink.

“I-I thought you always threw them away.”

“Why would I do that? I’m not a jackass.” He looked at Phil, confused. Who did he take Dan as? Sure, he came off as rude or blunt, but Dan was no jerk.

Phil didn’t say anything, but he took a bite of his sandwich to hide the big smile on his face.

The three of them chatted aimlessly about everything from Louise’s baby to the guy in their cubicle who was definitely an ex monster truck driver (“Phil how did you even come up with all this evidence? And how does this relate to him being a monster truck driver?” “He makes a strong point, Dan.” “Don’t encourage him-”).

Louise ended up leaving early, claiming to have “files” to get to. She sent an unsubtle wink and Dan internally murdered her in that moment. Phil remained clueless next to him, waving her farewell enthusiastically.

“So Danny boy,” Phil started, grinning in amusement as Dan cringed.

“Haven’t I told you not to call me that?”

Phil shrugged innocently. “Do you have any plans for this weekend?”

Dan shook his head. “Unless you count marathoning the Great British Bakeoff for four hours with Mittens a plan then I’m totally free. Why? You planning on inviting me to something?”

Phil was quick to answer. “Nope! No plans here. Simple small talk, that’s all.”

Dan glared at him, but didn’t push it; he’d find out sooner or later anyway. Phil could never keep a secret from Dan long.

Dan waited until Phil finished his lunch to leave (he was staying only to be polite, not because he liked listening to Phil talk. nope, not at all). They departed ways once they were back on their floor, Phil working on the opposite side of the where Dan’s cubicle was.

Dan walked back to his own cubicle, not looking forward to being bored to death with his lame ass job, where Louise was waiting for him. He jumped when he noticed her, causing her to burst into hysterical laughter.

“How did your lunch date go?” Louise teased.

Dan clutched his chest, gasping for breath. “Louise!”

Louise, being the terrible friend that she was, laughed harder.

Dan scowled. “It wasn’t a date, Louise. We eat together everyday. Don’t you have work to do?”

“I do, but tormenting you seemed like more fun.”

Dan sighed, sitting down in his desk chair. Louise was going to be the death of him.

“When are you finally going to ask him out?”

“I’m not going to ask him out. He’s annoying and immature.”

Louise rolled her eyes. “You’re just a grouch. I guess you’ll have to wait for him to make the move.” She patted Dan’s hair, ignoring the cold glare she was receiving.

“How many times do I have to say it: I don’t want to date Phil Lester.”

Louise sighed. “You’re not fooling me, Dan. You’re so obviously in love with him that everyone but you can see it.”

Dan stuttered, feeling his cheeks heat up unwillingly. “S-shut up.”

Louise laughed, messing up Dan’s meticulously straightened hair before turning and finally heading to leave.

“Good luck wooing your man! Shouldn’t be too hard, considering he likes you back.”

Dan threw a pen at her, making her quickly scuttle away, her laughter trailing after her.

He did not have a crush on Phil, he reassured himself. His heart didn’t flutter excitedly whenever he saw him nor did those magical butterflies appear in his tummy. 

Satisfied with his reassurances, Dan returned to his work, avoiding any suspicious daydreams of a blue-eyed man.

-

Phil was staring at him. So was everyone else, but Phil’s stare was much more intense.

Dan didn’t understand what the big deal was. He simply didn’t feel like straightening his hair that morning. Besides, with his new haircut, his curls actually looked pretty good.

To everyone else, it was the biggest thing happening in the office.

“I never knew your hair was curly,” Phil commented once he got over the initial shock of it.

“Yeah, it’s a rat’s nest, I know,” Dan scoffed. Phil didn’t like them. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, he should have straightened them, he looked awful-

“I like it.” Phil reached up and played with a loose curl, admiring how soft and fluffy his hair was.

Dan was the color of tomatoes now. His heart was beating too fast to be normal. “T-thanks.”

Phil smiled softly at him, knowing how self conscious Dan really was about his curly hair. “You should leave it curly more often.”

Dan nodded numbly in agreement, too dazed from the initial complement to argue.

He was still rather dazed when he sat down in his cubicle, a coffee mug at his desk and mind replaying the feeling of Phil playing with his hair.

“Earth to Dan.”

Dan snapped out of his reverie, turning to see Louise at the entrance of his cubicle as usual. She was staring at him, an eyebrow raised with suspicion. Dan hadn’t sought her out to complain about how Phil had too bright of a smile for the morning.

“What’s got you so spaced out this morning? I said your name like five times and you didn’t respond.”

Dan shrugged, making Louise sigh with annoyance. He was never an easy person to get information out of.

“Where’s your usual ‘go away, Louise’ or ‘I hate this job’? Are you sick?”

Dan shrugged again. “I’m having a good morning, I guess.”

This only made Louise more suspicious and concerned. Daniel Howell never had a good morning. He was always complaining, grouchy about having to wake up at the unholy hour of 5AM to get to his job. She went with her first suspicion, the only person who ever got Dan out of his slump. “Does it have to do with something Phil did?”

“No,” Dan snapped, too fast to be believable. It didn’t help that his cheeks turned red at the thought of Phil and the less-than-straight thoughts he had been having before Louise interrupted.

Louise gave him a knowing smirk. “Deny it all you want, but we both know Phil had a part in making you less grumpy this morning. It’s kind of obvious from the way you’re blushing.”

“You’re awful, I hate you.” Dan crossed his arms, back to his normal grumpy self.

Louise merely laughed. “There’s the Dan I know. Always hiding his love behind cruel words and adorable pouts.”

Dan groaned, embarrassed. He was very manly, thank-you-very-much. The manliness man of all. “Why is it that every time you come to my cubicle you end up tormenting me?”

Louise gave him a wink, pushing back a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because you love it.”

Dan gave her a glare, though he did have a slight smile on his face. “Sure I do. Are you going to let me work now?”

“I suppose I should.” She leaned over and ruffled his hair, making him squawk in offense. “I’ll see you at lunch break then, loverboy.”

Dan sighed, burying his head in his hands. He loved Louise, but sometimes she was a bit overwhelming.

His day carried on in the same usual routine that it always did: boring paperwork, a break in which he definitely didn’t spend longing for Phil to show up, more paperwork, lunch, and then back to the paperwork. Dan hated his job.

When he had graduated, Dan dreamed of an exciting career. Sure, it would take him some time as he was fresh out of university, but he imagined himself well on his way to producing short films in a couple of years. Instead, he was stuck at the dead end job he had been at for the past four years since he had graduated. It paid him too little and sucked the happiness out of him. The only positive he could find about it was the fact that he had some good friends suffering with him.

Dan watched as the clock slowly hit his end time, collapsing back in his chair with relief when it did. His back ached from being hunched over and his eyes burned from reading report after report for so long. The day felt longer than most, the high from his morning interaction with Phil having worn out long ago. He quickly got ready to leave, looking forward to an evening of pizza and cuddles with his kitten, Snowy. 

He was heading to the elevator when Phil ran up to him, ready to leave as well. Or somewhat ready. His coat was barely on and papers were loosely held together in his grip, threatening to escape. He had a nervous smile, something Dan had never seen on him.

“Dan! How was your day? Sorry I couldn’t eat lunch with you today.”

The elevator opened with a ding and the two stepped inside.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dan reassured, though he had missed Phil. “My day was boring as hell, per usual.” He hit the button to take them down to the lobby. He leaned against the elevator wall with a huff, feeling the tension of the day weigh down his shoulders.

Phil patted his shoulder, giving him a million watt smile. “You just have to find the fun in it.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “What fun is there in sorting papers and filling out the same old reports over and over again?”

Phil opened his mouth to argue, but he had nothing. He closed it. “Fair point. But you still have to find some way to have fun, even if it’s not with the actual work!”

Dan mumbled something, the elevator door opening and allowing the two men to walk out. They began the first half of their journey home, the walk to the tube. They’d have to separate at the tube, but for the meantime they could discuss important things like the latest anime or new video game.

“So, Dan,” Phil started, fiddling with the sleeve of his coat. “There’s a new sushi restaurant near downtown London that I went to last week.”

Dan pretended that his heart didn’t speed up with the thought of where the conversation was going.

“And I remembered that you liked sushi, so I was wondering if you uh, would like to go there with me this Friday?”

Dan stopped walking for a second, staring at Phil. Did he just ask Dan on a date? Not to mention, he had remembered that Dan liked sushi?

“Dan?”

“Yes!” Dan answered, coming out a bit louder than he had wanted. “I-of course! I’d love to.” His cheeks were red as he stuttered, happy butterflies filling his tummy.

Phil laughed at Dan’s response, then tugged him to start walking again. “Would eight o’clock work for you?”

Dan nodded, not trusting his mouth to speak properly.

“It’s a date then,” Phil said, trying to wink. He failed.

Dan let out a giggle (a giggle? who was he? he was Dan the Grouch, not Dan the Giggle Because A Cute Man Just Asked Me Out). “Whatever you say, Romeo.”

Phil beamed, satisfied with the result of the conversation. Louise had been right; Dan did say yes.

They made it to the underground, meaning that they would have to separate ways. 

“Remember, sushi at eight on Friday,” Phil reminded, stalling time to stay with Dan.

Dan rolled his eyes, but a smile was on his face. “I won’t forget, you spoon. And you really need to go, you’re about to miss your train.”

Phil glanced at the time and immediately panicked. He ran off, awkwardly waving goodbye. Dan laughed as he disappeared into the crowd, a sunny feeling in his chest. He couldn’t wait until Friday.

Come Friday, however, the universe had different plans for him.

He woke up to a dull throbbing in his head, one he knew would escalate. He curled up more, ignoring the persistent and painful beeping of his alarm.

His head refused to let him fall back asleep, however, and he knew that he needed to go to work. By the time he had managed to get out of bed, he was already running twenty minutes behind.

He stumbled into work nearly an hour after he was supposed to be there. His appearance was disheveled and he clutched at his head, hurrying past others in hopes that they wouldn’t try to talk to him.

Dan made it to his cubicle and sat down, staring dreadfully at the stack of paperwork waiting for him. It mocked him and his failed film career that never really started. He wanted nothing more to light them on fire and go back to sleep.

Dan barely made a dent in the work he was meant to do before he had to lay his head down on his desk. His headache was growing into a migraine, and while he didn’t get them as bad as some did, it still hurt like hell.

He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. Dan regretted not staying home, wrapped in his duvet and cuddling Snowy.

“Dan?” Phil’s voice cut through the dizziness. “Dan, what’s wrong?”

He felt a hand on his back, rubbing it gently. He didn’t dare move his head to look up, fearing it’d only cause more pain. Instead, he whimpered, hoping to get the message across wordlessly.

“Is it your head?” Phil knelt next to Dan, whispering in case he was sensitive to noise.

Dan hummed quietly, sounding pitiful. He turned his head ever so slightly, peeking an eye open to look at Phil.

Phil frowned, seeing the pain in Dan’s eye. “I’m sorry. Do you want to go home?”

Dan gave a slight nod. He thought he could handle work and their date afterwards, but he was in too much pain.

“I’ll get your stuff and get you home, okay?” Phil began gathering up Dan’s stuff, putting it all away neatly, much better than Dan could ever do. Dan kept his head down and shut his eyes. He listened to the small noises of movement from Phil, trying to focus on that instead of his migraine.

Phil only left to tell their supervisor about Dan’s situation, getting them both permission to take the day off. He grabbed his own stuff and headed back to Dan’s cubicle. Dan was still in the same position Phil had found him in. 

“We’ve got the day off, okay?” Phil whispered, touching Dan’s back. “I’ll call us a cab; do you think you can make it down to the lobby?”

Dan slowly sat up, his eyes cloudy and unfocused. He let Phil guide him to the elevator, his hand staying gently on his back. His head felt like it was full of bricks and he couldn’t wait to get home. In the meantime, he used Phil as he support. He leaned on his shoulder as they waited for the cab in the lobby, Phil’s arm wrapped around his waist.

Phil stayed quiet, having dealt with enough migraines himself to know that other people talking only made it worse. He only asked Dan for his address to give to the taxi driver.

During the ride, Dan drifted off into a light doze, his head buried in Phil’s shoulder. Phil rubbed circles on Dan’s waist, holding him close to his body. He looked a lot less pained in his sleep, his mouth slightly open. Phil hated to wake him up, but he knew Dan would prefer to be in his pjs and wrapped up in a blanket.

“Hey, we’re here,” Phil whispered, handing his money to the driver. Dan groaned and stirred, wincing as the headache hit him. They got out of the cab and headed inside the apartment, escaping the cold of the England winter.

The hardest part of the journey were the stairs. Sure, there was a lift, but it was creaky and genuinely scared the living lights out of anyone who used it. Halfway up the stairs, Dan had to stop, the dizziness making him incredibly nauseous. Everything stayed put, thankfully (Dan would not like to explain what had happened to his landlord), and they continued up at a slower pace. 

Dan could have cried with relief when they finally reached his apartment.

Snowy was there to greet them, her squeaky meows confused as to why her owner was back so earlier and who was his mysterious man? Phil decided to wait until later to introduce himself to Snowy, needing to get Dan to bed as soon as possible.

“Go change into some pajamas, I’ll get you some medicine.” Phil got Dan to the bedroom and let him take care of himself. He was able to get a good luck of the apartment. It was cozy, but lacked color in Phil’s opinion. That was Dan’s style, however, and Phil liked how his monochromatic style carried even in his house.

The medicine was located in the bathroom cabinet, similar to where Phil left his own. He rushed back to Dan, who was sitting on his bed, looking at the ground as if it held all the answers. He was wearing a black t-shirt and sweats, a cozier outfit than his stiff work uniform.

Phil gave him the medicine, watching in slight amusement as Dan swiftly took it like he was addicted to it. Phil pulled back the duvet, signaling to Dan to climb into it. Dan melted against the pillow, the softness encompassing his mind with a cloud.

Phil tucked him in, watching as Dan’s body relaxed in the comfort of his own bed. He ran his fingers through Dan’s curls, continuing the comforting action until Dan was softly snoring.

Phil left Dan to rest, leaving the door slightly cracked open as he left the room. He needed to figure out what he was doing. Phil assumed the date was off and, while he had been looking forward to it, Dan’s health was much more important.

Plus, they could make their own little date night at Dan’s apartment. Inspired by the idea, Phil grabbed his stuff and a key to get back into the apartment. Snowy watched him curiously as he sprinted to the door, fueled by an idea to make the best of the night.

“I’ll be right back, keep a watch on Dan for me,” Phil told Snowy, getting a confused blink in reply. He patted her on the head, and then he was gone. 

-

Dan woke up a couple hours later, the pounding in his head reduced to a mere annoyance. He could finally think straight again rather than his thoughts being scrambled with dizziness.

He sat up, the duvet falling from his shoulders. It was dark outside, meaning he had slept through most of the day. Dan stretched and yawned, feeling refreshed. He didn’t mind that he had slept the day away, feeling well rested and better than he usually did.

Dan could smell something cooking, making his stomach grumble in anticipation. He frowned, confused as to who it might be, until he remembered that it had been Phil who had brought him back.

Smiling, Dan got up and headed to the kitchen. There, he found Phil hunched over a pot, Snowy rubbing against his legs. The sphynx kitten obviously wanted the chicken, but had yet to receive any.

“What do you think, Snowy? Do you think Dan will like my chicken noodle soup?”

Snowy meowed, then spotted Dan. She happily trotted over to him, alerting Phil of his presence. Phil smiled when he saw Dan, watching as he scooped up Snowy and held her in one hand. Dan smiled back, admiring how Phil looked in his casual wear and glasses.

“Chicken noodle soup sounds good,” Dan said, walking over to look at it.

Phil stirred the broth, the food mixing together. “It’ll be ready in a couple of minutes,” Phil explained. “You feeling better?”

Dan nodded. “Much. Thanks for caring for me. Sorry I got sick on our date night.”

Phil shrugged. “It happens. Besides, I made our own little date night here, complete with homemade chicken soup, studio ghibli, and some cookies I picked up from the bakery.”

Dan grinned. Phil was too good for him. He leaned over and pecked Phil’s cheek, watching in amazement as it turned a pretty pink.

Phil finished stirring the soup, asking Dan to grab them bowls and spoons. He gladly complied and the two served themselves dinner, heading to the lounge across from the kitchen to eat it. Dan watched in amusement as Snowy trailed behind them, wanting a bite of the chicken.

Phil popped in a movie and the two settled onto the couch.

“You need to cook food for me more often,” Dan commented, digging into the soup. 

Phil laughed. “I take it you like it, then?”

Dan ate another spoonful. He didn’t normally like soup, but for some reason, Phil’s was the best thing he’d tasted in a long time. “It’s orgasmic.” He dramatically moaned, earning a swat from Phil.

“Shut up, weirdo.”

Later on, after they had devoured the soup and the cookies, Dan leaned back into the couch, eyeing Phil subtly. He looked so soft in the dim lighting and Dan wanted nothing more than to cuddle him. Figuring things were going well so far, he scooted so he was next to Phil’s side and leaned into him.

Phil smiled, getting the hint. He shifted so Dan could curl up against his chest, tangling their legs together. Dan smiled, feeling the happiest he had been in a long time.

“You’re a literal sunshine, you know that?” Dan murmured.

Phil laughed, the sound rumbling under Dan’s head. “How so?”

Dan closed his eyes, sighing contently. “You make me so, so happy Phil. You make everyone happy.”

He opened his eyes to see Phil staring down at him, his cheeks a bright red and a smile as bright as the sun. “R-really?”

Dan looked him in the eye, trying to be a serious as he could with a lovesick smile on his face. “I mean it.”

Phil giggled, hiding his blush in Dan’s hair. It was incredibly adorable, but Dan wanted to see Phil’s blushing face for all it’s glory. He cupped Phil’s face with his hands and held it gently, leaning his forehead against Phil’s.

“You’re my sunshine,” Dan whispered. He pecked Phil’s nose, bursting with affection for the dark haired man.

“That’s so cheesy,” Phil giggled.

Dan smiled softly, staring at Phil’s eyes. They were so much more beautiful up close, with flecks of yellow dancing around the blue and green tones. “Maybe a little bit.”

He leaned down and connected their lips, letting himself get lost in the sunshine. He tasted of sugar and warmth and made butterflies explode in Dan’s chest. They slowly pulled away, soft looks on both of their faces. Dan was on top of the world, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t be coming down anytime soon.

So yeah, Louise might have been right about that whole crush thing. But Dan could deal with a little teasing; Phil was his, and that was all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> eeeeeee i hope you liked it my hand cramped at the end but i made it. kind of


End file.
